Shoe-lace fastener.



No. 667,l75 1 lPatented Feb. 5, |90l.

' F. F ATKINSDN.

sHoE LACE FASTENE'R. (Appliction med Apr. 25. 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNTTED STATES FRANCIS F. ATKINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MORRIS FRANKLIN, JOHN G. PEARSE, AND LEONARD ADAIR, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,17 5, dated February 5, 1901,

Application filed April 25. 1900. Serial No. 14,318. @lo model.)

To all L1/71,0771, it may concern-s Be it known that I, FRANCIS F. ATKINSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britaimresiding at New York, in the coun ty of New York and State of New York,have invented new and usel'ul Improvements in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe-lace fasteners, the object being to provide a shoe-lace clamp which is retained in place by the lacing-cord and when clamped thereon will fasten the same more securely than by tying in the usual manner, the construction being such that the parts constituting the clamp will not be detached one from the other.

The invention consists in the construction of the clamp for the purpose herein set forth, said clamp having a base-piece with eyes and a screw carried by the base-piece, the end of the screw being upset to prevent the removal of a thumb-nut which is mounted on the screw, all as will be hereinafter morefullyset forth and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,which form a part-of this specification, Figure l is a perspective View of a shoe-lace fastener or stringclamp constructed in accordance with myinvention, the same being shown as applied to a shoe. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp,showing the nut positioned away from the base. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a modified form; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further modication.

.The clamp for fastening shoestrings when made in accordance with my invention consists of a base A, from the center of which projects a screw a., upon which is mounted anut b, having a milled edge. The baseA at a greater distance from its center or screw than the diameter of the nut is provided with eyes or perforations a', sufcient in diameter to receive two cords. In general terms the structure is such as to provide a base having a centrally-disposed screw upon which is mounted a clampingnut,the base having therethrough eyes, so that when the shoe-laces are passed in opposite directions through the eyes they will lie against the screw and may be clamped against the base by the nut.

In the manufacture of the device the base may be stamped or struck up from sheet metal, the openings a therethrough providing eyes, and the screw has its end upset to prevent the entire removal of the nut. In practice the eyes through the base may be rounded to obviate sharp edges,which wo u ld be present if the holes were simply punched through the metal. Eyelets may be inserted in the holes and upset to provide said holes with rounded the head of the screw engaging with an irregular-shaped indentation or depression formed in the base-plate.

Fig. 3 illustrates a further modification in which the base is made up of hard rubber or analogous material, the apertures therethrough being reinforced by metal eyelets.

In use the ends of the shoe-lace are passed from the under side through the eyes and thence across the base and downward through the other eye, after which the ends of the lace are knotted to prevent the removal of the clamp. When the nut is near the upset end of the screw or out of engagement with the lace, the ends can be drawn to tighten the same and may be clamped by turning the nut down upon ythe lace. l

The clamp can be readily and cheaply manufactured and may be ornamented as desired, and in the manufacture of the article the nut may be of sufficient thickness to permit the requisite movement of the same upon the screw without exposing the end of the screw. For instance, the nut may have a cap into which the screw passes when the nut is turned toward the base.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-,-

l. The combination in a fastening device plate from which projects a screw-threadedshank, perforations through the base-plate said perforations being adjacent to the shank, eyelets secured in the perforations to provide the same with rounded edges the diameter of the eyelets being sufficient to admit of the passage therethrough of two lacing-cords, and a nut mounted on the screw-threaded shank, substantially as shown, whereby both ends of a lacing-cord may be passed through each of the eyelets and when so passed will be positioned on opposite sides and against the shank to be engaged by the clamping-nut.

3. The combination in a fastening device for shoe-laces, of a rigid base-plate having end perfor-ations therethrough, a piece of pliable material attached to the base-plate by eyelets, a threaded shank and clamping-nut `carried by the base-plate, the construction of the parts being such that both ends of a shoe-lace may be passed through the eyelets and when so passed will lie adjacent to the threaded shank and beneath the clampingnut, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS F. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL C. HINMAN, PETER J. McIN'rYRE. 

